Emotive
by HelloDarlingLove
Summary: Emotive (ih-mO-tiv) 1. Characterized by or pertaining to emotion: the emotive and rational capacities of humankind. 2. Productive of or directed toward the emotions: Artistic distortion is an emotive use of form. [M for language, sexual themes, suggestive themes, graphic violence, character death]
1. Chapter 1

_~Writing welcomes with open arms, whispering how long I've waited for our sweet reunion. I know no bounds, no test of time. I am, I have always been, I will always be. I am here, though you come and go, I am here. Welcome home, sweet lover, welcome. Consummate our reunion, bathe in the blissful words and patterns you know so well. Welcome home. October 14, 2015._

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Crimson eyes stare hazily into the hungry red eye of the camera poised above his head. Watching him. Recording him. Eager for what he might exhibit in his last moments. Do they know these are his last moments? Perhaps. Perhaps they have no idea what they've done. They never seem to. The capacity of understanding within the common human mind is limited by past experiences and unfounded expectations.

How long now? His antennae pick up the minute ticking of his PAK, only five feet from him yet a lifetime away, ticking away in time with the dying pulses of his weak, ineffective heart. So reliant is his species on their technology that their bodies know not how to survive without it anymore. It would be better, his kind thought. We would be better. Stronger. Smarter. Merging organic with mechanic to become something so much more than meat. Yet what have they done but to bring themselves down to provisory, needy creatures. The humans are quickly moving on the same path his own kind found so long ago and he smiles ever so slightly though it is terribly tragic. If only they knew. But humans do not learn from others' mistakes. They do not even learn from their own. It'll be just another page in the history books, if not their downfall altogether. They're already so reliant on their medications and drugs and machines. Noses shoved in their phones as they shove edible propaganda down their greedy, needy throats.

Three minutes. How long now? Maybe two, maybe one. He closes his eyes, turning his face from the ever-watchful camera. Harder to breathe. That sweet oxygen reserve running low. Slowly suffocating. Not long now. He opens his eyes to look at his PAK. Simple, stupid thing yet so important to his life. Ridiculous. He envies the humans, at least, for being able to live without such a thing, though it really is remarkable. The engine powers his next-to-worthless body, giving him the energy to exist, circulating his blood as his heart can no longer do on its own, purifying the air around him and delivering the oxygen directly to the bloodstream. Incredible. His kind has poisoned their planet's air beyond salvation and this simple machine takes it in and adjusts it for his system. Amazingly, this planet's air is near polluted enough to choke it's inhabitants and they have yet to develop a survival system of their own. This species won't last long, not at this rate.

Zim closes his eyes again as the darkness creeps forward on his vision, head fuzzing and muffling his thoughts. His antennae twitch at a sound but he doesn't bother to look. Not important, not right now anyways. Maybe when he wakes up from this little nap he's sliding into, then he will be more interested.


	2. Chapter 2

Dib crossed and uncrossed his arms several times, as he was prone to do when in deep thought. He pulled his eyes away from the computer screens and turned his rotating chair to look around the small office, eyes falling on the cabinet of shotguns and rifles. For emergencies, of course. Riots, attacks, uprisings. Escapes. He stood and fingered the keys at his belt absently, stepping over to the cabinet. It unlocked with a jangle of keys, click of barrels. He opened the gate. Touched one of the shotguns. All loaded, ready to go. In case of that riot or attack. His eyes moved back to the screens. The crimson eyes seemingly staring into his amber ones. Such a fascinating creature. It had only been here for a few weeks before they decided to start running the experiments. They pried the mechanical thing from his back and quickly discovered the alien could not seem to live without it, so they replaced it for the time. They ran all the preliminary tests and procedures. The alien fought it at first but then gave in. It refused to speak, except for a few short curses in its strange tongue. It didn't communicate, didn't react. Just stared from those gleaming red eyes, impossible for a human to read. He wondered if it spoke English, or any human language. Likely not.

He looked back to the guns and chose one, taking it from it's rack and testing it's weight. Dib glanced back to the screen. The alien was looking away now. Dib wondered why they would squander such a creature. It had so much to give, scientifically, yet they wanted to kill it, to remove it's life support and watch it die. He wasn't at the level clearance to know exactly what they were doing, or what they planned for the alien, only that they aimed to document it's 'natural' death and then carve it up. Such a waste. The creature was really quite interesting-looking. And those crimson eyes, almost beautiful.

He closed his hands around the weapon and stepped to the door.


	3. Chapter 3

The glass was surprisingly thick as he slammed the butt of the gun down upon it again, this time with a satisfying crack but no break. The pinkish orbs on the alien machine swirled blinkingly, slower and weaker with each pulse. He paused, then brought the gun down harder, feeling the strain in his shoulders and stepping back when the glass gave. Dib reached into the box and picked up the light-weight machine, marveling at it and turning to the alien.

Zim heard the thump and opened his eyes slightly, looking at the dark-clad being striking at the case enclosing his PAK. Odd. He let the darkness take him.

Dib glanced at the sliding glass door leading into the lab room. He'd keyed in an emergency lock-down for this section, and knew the security guards and other agents would be busy handling the little emergency stirr he'd caused in another section of the building remotely. It wouldn't be long until they came running. He turned to the alien and set the gun down to release his restraints with the flip of a switch. Dib rolled it onto it's side and looked at the PAK in his hand wonderingly. What is he doing? He doesn't know the faintest thing about this creature or it's workings. Before he can do anything else wires drop from ports on the bottom of the PAK, dangling for a moment before reaching out like groping fingers. He moves it closer to the alien and they feel over his back, finding their designated spots and connecting themselves, worming into his body in a way that makes Dib's stomach clench, revolted. The PAK pulls from his hand and snaps snug against the alien's back. Silence ensues for a long moment, followed by a whirring sound. The orbs pulse brighter, faster, and the alien curls suddenly, a violent shiver racking his naked body. He shifts and lurches, falling off the edge of the table before Dib can grab him.

Dib circles the table and crouches, watching as the being dry retches and pushes himself up on shaking arms. Sharp crimson eyes lift to him and the creature is atop him in an instant, claws digging into the side of his neck as it pins him to the floor on his back. Human and alien stare at each other for a heartbeat, the Irken poised to rip his throat out. Shouts come from outside the door and Zim looks up. An agent stares at them as a security guard hastily keys in his override code. Zim shrinks off the human and stands quickly, eyes darting. Dib gets to his feet, still somewhat dazed by all of this. He picks up the shotgun and turns it on the agent and the guard as the door slides open. The security personnel slowly holds out his own weapon and Dib order them back. They obediently step back from the door, moving into the hallway as Dib steps towards the door. Zim follows behind him, eyes narrowed to slits as he watches the humans.

"Agent Dib, why are you doing this?" the other agent asks, eyes on the alien.

"Stay back," he growls, moving out of the room and backing down the hall. The agent steps forward and he tightens his finger on the trigger, stopping him in his place. Zim stays behind Dib, moving on silent bare feet.

Once they round the corner at the end, Dib turns and starts running, boots echoing loudly. Zim follows him, antennae tuned to the shouts behind them.

Dib's grip tightens on the weapon as he maps out the building in his mind. Two more turns, three more hallways and they'll be at the exit. He feels the shot before he hears it and it takes him by surprise when he stumbles, knees buckling suddenly and spilling him to the floor. The gun skids away as he puts his hands down to keep from faceplanting. He blinks, frowning, and looks up. The alien keeps going to the next corner then stops and looks back at him. It's eyes lift to the coming footsteps behind Dib and then it's gone, turning the corner. Dib tries to get up but a weight has settled in his back and his brow furrows, confused. His shirt quickly becomes damp, then wet as blood soaks into it. The agent and security catch up to him and the guard plants a foot in his back, pushing him down to the floor with an order to remain still.

"Go get the subject! I'll handle this," the agent orders and the guard nods, jogging ahead and around the corner. The agent steps over to the shotgun and picks it up, turning back to Dib as he tries pushing himself up again.

"Why did you do that, Agent Dib?" he asks, looking at the weapon. Dib tries to speak but the agent swiftly kicks him in the ribs, sending him onto his side against the wall. "That wasn't very smart."

Dib coughs and curls slightly, pain like fire spreading through him as he slowly grasps his situation. He looks up and watches as Agent Kens stands over him and aims the weapon at his face.

"You were set to move up to clearance three, you know. Next week, in fact." Kens shakes his head. "Shame, too, you could have been so good in the field." He wraps a finger delicately around the trigger, then lifts the gun and brings the butt down on Dib's face. The crack of bone resounds sickeningly in his head as his right orbital socket shatters. He screams, hand going to his face as his eyes swells shut almost instantly.

Agent Kens lifts a radio from his belt as it crackles. "Agent Membrane has been fatally injured," he reports. "Status of the subject?"

"Copy. Unrecovered," a voice responds. "Orders?"

"Keep looking. It can't get out without a print, even if it has a passcode. And send someone to clean this mess up." Kens turns the radio off and draws a handgun.

"Agent Dib was involved with a security breach. He was unfortunately struck down during a deadly confrontation with the subject." Kens smiles as he thumbs back the hammer. "No shame on your family, right? Just a big tragic mishap. Nobody has to look bad here."

Dib lifts a shaking hand, a begging gesture for life, but turns his face away as he knows it won't be honored. He flinches involuntarily at a metallic grating sound and looks up to see the alien drop down from a vent in the ceiling, suspended by two extensions from his PAK. Zim swings his feet forward, connecting with the back of Agent Kens' head, sending him forward into the wall beside Dib and unconsciousness. The Irken drops down, extensions disappearing, and looks at Dib. Dib looks back, dumbfounded. The alien glances up the hallway, then steps forward to scoop the human up quickly. Dib gasps in pain but doesn't protest, vision swimming with bright spots.

Zim pads down the hall swiftly, antennae poised for other humans though it's hard to hear over Dib's noises as his heart pounds and his breathing wheezes wetly in and out of his throat. His blood burns Zim's skin slightly, being made up of mostly water, but the alien ignores it as he carries him quickly down the last hallway towards the exit door.

Shouts echo down the halls, he doesn't have much time. Zim quickly puts the human down on his feet but he sinks to his knees. The alien looks in the direction they came from and then quickly slaps the human. Dib cries out as the pain in his face flares blindingly. He lifts a shaking hand and enters the code for the door. An agonizing moment passes, then a beep indicates acceptance of the code but the door does not unlock. Zim looks up again anxiously, footsteps drawing closer. He picks up the human's hand and presses it against the scanner above the keypad. Another long moment and a green light approves the scan and unlocks the door. Zim drops the human and opens the door, slipping out.

Dib tries to push himself up and watches as the alien moves several feet out into the night. The cool air feels good on his face and he smiles slightly.

Zim hesitates and looks back, eyes glaring. Guards are approaching, in sight now, armed and ready to kill. They shout at Zim to stop. As if. He looks back down at Dib and clicks his teeth together angrily. Damnit.


	4. Chapter 4

Buzzing yellow lights flash by quickly overhead, then darkness. A door breathes open and shut and city sounds fade. Cold against his back, pressure. Hard to breathe. Pain in waves, carrying him up and down. A faint touch of nausea.

A police siren whizzes by quickly, or maybe an ambulance? Could be a firetruck. Something like that. Emergency somewhere.

Footsteps, quiet, whispering as they move. A quiet hiss, muttering.

It's cold, so cold, and he shivers, something's touching him.

He's sitting up, chin dropped against his chest, blood dripping from his lips. His eye flickers open and he stares hazily at the dirty wooden floor between his legs, hands curled in his lap. Dib tries to lift his head but a cold hand slides under his chin, lifting it for him and he finds himself looking into the face of something.. not human. Green. Crimson. Sharp white teeth bared, another hiss. He blinks slowly and closes his eye again, fading.

Sounds come first, sounds of the city he knows so well. Just like outside his apartment. Cars, a train in the distance, sirens long off, a helicopter. Dib moans softly and works to open his eye, gunky tears causing resistance as his lashes pull apart. The world swirls, slowly coming into focus. The dirty floor. Wooden floorboards. His lap, dust smudged on his black jeans. Hands limp and upturned at his sides, blood dried onto them. He blinks slowly and lifts his head, looking around. He shivers with cold and brings a hand up to his chest, finding it bare. He glances down again, head swimming dizzily at the motion. Where is his coat? Where is his.. shirt? He looks up again, vision becoming a little clearer. Dib runs his tongue over his lips, tasting the blood. He slowly climbs to his feet, using the wall he is leaned against for support. Something pulls at the skin on his back and he reaches behind him to touch but can't quite reach the spot. He frowns, and feels the same tug on his face. Lifting a hand, he gingerly touches around his right eye and feels something rubbery attached to his skin. He tries to peel it off but it sticks stubbornly. He stumbles over to a window, boarded from the outside, and tries to see himself in the filtering streetlight. Something is definitely on his face, covering his right eye and most of his cheek below it. He turns and looks over his shoulder at the glass, seeing the same substance on his back where he was shot. He looks around the depleted room, surmising he is in some kind of abandoned building. He steps towards the door on calf's legs and stumbles, falling to one knee weakly.

Something exhales quietly from a corner of the room and he lifts his head, eyes straining in the darkness. There is a light thump as Zim drops down from an exposed beam in the ceiling and steps towards him. Dib falls back and quickly tries to scoot away from the alien, mind clouded. Zim narrows his gleaming eyes and swiftly moves forward, snatching the human by the throat and lifting him from the ground completely. Dib chokes and reaches, wrapping his hands around the cold wrist and struggling. Zim glares a moment and then drops him none too gently, turning away with a flourish and clicking. Dib sits up slowly and looks at him, hand to his throat. The alien is wearing his trenchcoat, buttoned modestly. The alien paces to the other side of the room and peers out through a crack in the boards on a window.

Dib gets to his feet slowly, wincing. "Thank you," he whispers, voice hoarse and strange from his dry throat. The alien's antennae twitch but he doesn't respond. Dib glances at the door but decides he cannot go outside like this. He searches for his sweater but does not see it. Maybe the alien is wearing that as well, beneath the coat.

He returns to where he was sitting earlier and slides down the wall slowly until he is sitting. Need to think, to figure out his next plan of action. Can't go home, never. They'll be watching, searching for him. He sighs and coughs, fresh blood speckling his lips. Dib leans over and spits, scowling. The expression makes his face hurt and he lifts a hand again to pick at the substance, not liking the feel of it. He peels up a corner and starts to pull but suddenly the alien is in front of him, crouched down and grabbing his hand away, glaring. Dib submissively allows his hand to be lowered to his lap and he stares at the green face as the alien gently smooths the substance back down against his cheek. The crimson eyes meet his for just a moment and then the alien is gone again, pacing away to the shadows of a corner. Dib ponders the creature before closing his eye and drifting into an uneasy but much-needed rest.


	5. Chapter 5

Dib awoke some time later and moaned groggily, lifting a hand to his pounding head. He looked around, blinking sleep crust from his functional eye. Daylight filtered into the room from the boarded windows. He shifted to get up and something tumbled from his lap. He looked down and frowned, reaching to pick up his trenchcoat and a grey hooded sweatshirt. Dark brown spots speckled the front of the shirt. Peering closer, he realized it seemed suspiciously like blood. Dib looked around the room quickly before slipping the slightly too-large sweater on. He felt self-conscious wearing someone else's blood _(or maybe it's his, who the hell knows anymore)_ as he made his way to the door.

Floorboards creaked as he ventured from the room and down the hall, glancing in rooms he passed. It seemed to be an abandoned hotel, or maybe efficiency apartments. A cave-in before the stairs at the end of the hall stopped him and he turned, going back the way he came. The door to a room at the opposite end was closed and he opened it slowly, peeking in. The scent of blood lit the room faintly and he stepped inside, eyes drawn to the splash of drying red in the middle. Dib stepped back and leaned against the doorframe, vomiting weakly.

A man's body lay twisted and naked in the center of the empty room, it's skull smashed in. The man's shoes and jeans were removed and discarded, and no shirt was to be seen. Dib looked down at his sweatshirt with growing horror and quickly pulled it off, throwing it against the wall and turning to flee.

The alien stood in the center of the hall near the cave-in, watching him silently.

Panicked, Dib backed into the room and slammed the door, twisting the bolt on the door. He tried not to look at the body as he ran to a window, sliding it up hastily. He pushed a rotted board loose and looked down. The ground was a sickening distance away, at least five stories. As he contemplated his options the doorknob turned, squeaking, and the door rattled. There was a pause as it didn't budge and then a crack of wood as it was forced inward with relative ease. The human turned and watched as the alien stepped into the room, clothed in more fitted pants and a simple black shirt. No doubt from another slain human.

Zim glanced indifferently at the body as he passed it, stepping up to Dib. The alien stood at least a foot under him but he carried himself drawn to full height with an air of well-fed pride. Dib backed against the window, looking for anything to defend himself with and coming up empty. The alien stopped before him and he raised an arm, prepared to fight. Zim squinted at him, then draped the sweatshirt over it and turned to leave. Dib lowered his arm slowly, taking the shirt in his hands. He slid it on hesitantly. It was cold in the building and, well, it's owner sure wasn't using it any longer. After a pause, he stepped after the alien.

Zim made his way down the hall towards the stairs in no hurry, fully aware of the human walking up behind him. He heard the fear and anxiety in the footsteps, the rapid pulse, and stopped short just as the human threw arms around his throat, pulling him back a step.

Metal extensions shot from his PAK and scissored Dib, flipping him to the floor with ease. Zim turned to look at him as he wheezed, scrambling back against the wall. He glared a long moment, then continued on.

"Wait," Dib huffed, getting to his feet again. "How did I get in here? Let me out."

Zim didn't respond, dropping out of sight through the hole in the floor. Dib hurried to the edge and looked down but he was gone. He cursed and turned away, pacing the hallway. He stopped before he reached the last room and looked doubled back. Dib began searching the rooms until he found a bathroom. Having no windows, it was dark and he groped his way around until he found what he was looking for. Pulling down the tiny shower's curtain rod, he swung the end towards the glint of mirror above the sink, shattering it. Bad luck was the furthest thing from his mind. Dib carefully reached into the sink and drew out a hand-sized shard, slicing his finger on the edge. He carried it into the room he awoke in and set it up on the windowsill, leaning to look at his face.

A light-grey putty-like substance covered his right eye and brow and much of his cheek. He touched at the center gingerly, wincing, then slid his fingernails under the bottom edge on his cheek and started pulling. The substance clung to his skin but not painfully, coming away slowly and leaving no residue. He peeled it away in a solid piece, slowing as he reached the tender area just below his eye. When he'd removed the entire piece he looked down at it in his hand, a perfect mold of his eye and cheek. It wasn't sticky, and didn't have an odor. Alien substance, no doubt. He set it on the windowsill and looked at his eye. It was still considerably swollen and the entire area around the eye blackened. He could open it just slightly, but there was next to no vision in it. He wrinkled his nose at the sight and immediately regretted it as a world of pain crashed through his face. Had he been in pain earlier? He didn't think so, but maybe he just hadn't been paying attention?

Dib turned and looked at his back in the mirror, studying the same material smoothed over the gunshot wound, the center dimpled in slightly. He twisted his arm and grasped the edge of it, hesitating before pulling it up and away to the best of his abilities. Blood immediately began to run from beneath the grey substance and he patted the edge back down, frowning. He sat down next to the window and picked up the piece from his face, turning it over in his hands thoughtfully. It warmed in his hands and became more pliable the more he handled it. Curious, he tore off a piece and wrapped it around the cut on his finger. The throbbing sting eased away quickly and he looked at his finger in wonder. Incredible.

A sound drew his attention and he got up quickly, grabbing the shard of mirror and sliding it into the pocket of his sweatshirt. He glanced at his tenchcoat laying on the floor nearby. Maybe he should have put that on as well, though it offered minimum protection. It's been his companion all these long years, he almost feels naked without it.

The alien steps into the room slowly, regarding him silently a moment before setting something down on the floor and leaving again. Dib steps towards it slowly, curious. He picks up the heavy object wrapped in white crinkled paper. Blood drips from one corner and he unwraps it slowly, unveiling a hunk of meat. He nearly drops it, sickened, until he realizes it's only a raw cut of steak. The human tilts his head, frowning, and looks up to see the alien watching him from down the hall. He starts to say something but the Irken turns away and drops out of sight once again.

Dib carries the meat back to his room and sits down with it. He is starving, how long has he been here? At least 24 hours, possibly longer. Is he this hungry yet though? The meat looks fairly fresh, and definitely from some kind of butcher shop. Standing, he peers out the window and down at the street. The only butcher shop he knows of in the city is five miles from his apartment, fifteen from the agency labs. He doesn't recognize the street below but he doesn't come to the area of town where the shop is located often so that would explain the foreignness. If he can escape this place, he could likely find his way to his sister's house. That would be safe, for a time. He doesn't think the agency is aware of her existence, as he never listed family members other than his father when he signed on.

He looks back down at the meat and wraps it back up, setting it on the windowsill. No, he isn't that desperate yet. He will be out of here by nightfall.


	6. Chapter 6

Nightfall did not come quickly enough as Dib explored his floor of the building, testing every possible angle. He found an elevator he'd previously overlooked and as the last of the daylight twinkled away he slid the cage door open and looked down into the darkness. The elevator itself was two floors down, but there was a ladder to the right of the opening he could use to climb down to the next floor. Hopefully the stairs from there on down would be unblemished and he could make his escape.

He paced to the cave-in and listened a long moment, though the alien was silent as a cat he assured himself that he was alone. He hadn't seen the alien since the meat delivery and hoped that maybe it had just grown bored of him. Returning to the elevator, he reached in and touched a rung of the ladder. Something crackled behind him and he turned quickly, eyes wide in the fading light. The silhouette of a boy stood in the hallway, watching him.

"Hey," Dib released the rung and stepped towards him. "Hey, are you alright? Are you trapped here too?"

The boy's head tilted slightly and Dib stopped. Crimson gleamed from his eyes and the figure transformed before him, shaggy hair giving way to a smooth head, two stalks of antennae emerging as if from a glamour. Dib backed away quickly and turned to reach inside the elevator but misjudged the proximity of the opening. His foot slipped over the edge and he fell forward, striking his head on the edge as he fell. His hands grasped blindly in the darkness, briefly touching the elevator cables and then he landed. Pain burst through his left leg and side and he tried to scream but the impact had driven the breath from him. The alien head appeared at the opening, staring down at him, eyes shining in the darkness almost like a nocturnal animal's. Dib closed his eyes a moment, then tried to get up. Pain shot up his leg and he did scream, curling inward as his empty stomach turned. He heard something crunch and briefly remembered the mirror shard in his pocket, likely shattered into a million pieces now.

A shadow moved overhead and scraping sounds echoed in the tight space as the alien entered the elevator shaft and made his way downward. Dib reached into his pocket and grasped a piece of the mirror, drawing it out and pushing himself up on his free arm. The elevator shifted as the alien landed on it softly. For a span, he heard nothing but is own harsh breathing and then a cold hand touched his arm. He slashed the shard forward, feeling it make contact with a tear of fabric and meaty cut of flesh. The alien hissed and removed his hand, the elevator bouncing again as he moved back. Dib heard him to his left and slashed again, missing. Zim grabbed his wrist but he twisted away, slashing and stabbing wildly. He buried the shard as deep as he could and let go, scrambling to get away. He felt the wall behind him, finding the edge only two feet up, and reached to slide the gate open. It screeched reluctantly and he used his arms to pull himself up, crawling from the elevator shaft and slamming the gate shut behind him, latching it with fumbling fingers. Dib tried to get to his feet but spilled to the floor uselessly, gasping. He scrambled in the dark towards what he hoped were the stairs, propelling himself on hands and one good leg.

Just as he reached the door to the stairwell, it slammed open and a shadow rushed out, seizing him and throwing him against the wall. Dib caught a glimpse of slender metallic legs as the alien snatched him up and threw him to the opposite wall. Dib twisted and crawled for the door but the alien knocked him away again. Zim crouched down over him, slamming one extension into the wall above his head, sending a flurry of plaster onto him. He leaned down and hissed loudly into Dib's face, teeth clicking. The human shut his eyes and stayed still, trembling. The alien stayed for a long moment then pulled away, raining more plaster onto his face. Dib looked up as he dropped to the floor, extensions disappearing, and crouched down by the window. Street light filtered in between the boards, illuminating the Irken in a pale yellow as he sat, staring at the wall.

Dib pushed himself up after awhile and looked to the stairwell, then at the alien. He started crawling slowly, quietly, though he knew the alien was not unaware of him. He paused in the doorway as his hand touched something wet and looked down, lifting his hand to the light. A light-greenish liquid stained his palm. More was dripped on the floor through the stairwell and over by the alien. He crawled into the stairwell and sat inside the doorway, leaning against the wall. Dib shut his eye and pressed a hand to his ribs, wheezing. After gathering his nerve, he ran a hand down his thigh and leg until he touched something sharp and quickly pulled his hand away, shaking his head slightly. Nope, no, not bothering that. He swallowed hard, throat clicking, and leaned to look into the hall towards the window. The alien was gone. Dib leaned back against the wall and sighed. A fine mess this is.


	7. Chapter 7

Dib lifted his head at the sound of voices. Had he passed out? He blinked as a light shone over his face, blinding him to it's bearer.

"Hey, are you hurt? What happened here?" the light lowered and a man in uniform stepped towards him, flashlight in hand. Another policeman followed beside him, shining his own light about the stairwell. The cop crouched down beside him and looked him over.

"Alright, we're going to get you out of here, just hold on." He pulled a radio from his belt. Before he could speak an inhuman screech echoed down the stairwell and the alien dropped from the floor above them, landing on the second officer. A metal extension stabbed through his back, driving him to the floor as another sharp tip crushed through the back of his skull. The first officer reached for his weapon but the Irken swept an extension, knocking him against the wall.

"No!" Dib cried out, lurching forward, arm outstretched as the alien drove a metal leg through the officer's chest. The man stared in shock before he was dropped, dead.

"No, no, why the fuck!" Dib tried to get up, forgetting himself, and fell back against the wall. "Fucking why?"

The alien crouched on the bottom step of the stairs leading up, watching him silently. He waited until the human was finished yelling, then reached out a PAK leg and turned over the body of one of the officers. Dib watched in muted dismay as Zim flipped open one side of the officer's coat, revealing a hidden badge. Dib leaned forward and grabbed it and a flashlight. He read the badge, then looked up at the alien, sitting back against the wall hard.

"Agents," he breathed. "How did you know?" He leaned forward again quickly and searched the officer, drawing his weapon and slipping it into his pocket. "We have to get out of here."

The officer's radio crackled to life. "Agent Reen, status. Are you ready for pick-up?"

Zim crept forward and snagged the radio, pressing the button and bringing it to his lips, eyes on Dib. "Negative. Target eliminated. Send clean-up." He spoke in a perfect imitation of the dead agent's voice.

Dib stared at him but somehow didn't feel the level of disbelief he thought he should. Of all the things he's seen the past few days, this was likely the least surprising.

He got his good leg under him and put a hand to the wall, attempting to stand. The alien dropped the radio and picked his way over the bodies to the stairs leading down, then looked back to wait for him. Dib set his bad leg down gingerly but could put no weight on it, almost crashing to the floor again but catching himself on a rail. He stared at the floor, shaking. The alien crept towards him slowly and he looked up at him warily. The Irken hissed quietly and moved away, swinging over the railing and down into the darkness. Dib started down the stairs slowly, one at a time, hopping on his good foot and supporting most of his weight against the rail. He had approximately fifteen minutes to get out of the building and away from the site.


	8. Chapter 8

Dib stopped when he reached the ground floor and sat on the bottom step heavily, panting. He ran a shaking hand through his dark hair, brushing it back from his face. The alien was nowhere in sight but he didn't doubt it was near. Why would the alien kill those undercover agents? To protect him? Impossible. Or was it? He did save the alien's life, after all, and the alien has saved his as well so it's not as if they're uneven.

No time to think of such now, he needs to get moving before clean-up detail arrives. Daylight will soon be gnawing away the dark and it would be better not to be seen. Heaving to his feet, or foot more so, he began hobbling towards a back door. Something whispered past him in the dark but he ignored it, focused on keeping upright.

Dib stumbled once and something pressed itself into his side, startling him. A slim arm snaked around his waist as a small shoulder pushed into his underarm, encouraging his weight onto the being. He allowed himself to be led with the support unquestioningly.

When they reached the door Dib pushed it open easily on rusted hinges. He reached to pull the hood of the sweater over his head with slight remorse for his trenchcoat abandoned upstairs. In the pollution of city light he looked down at his leg and sighed softly. Instead of the horrific protrusion of bone he'd anticipated, a small piece of shaved rebar stuck from below his knee at an odd angle. He looked to his companion, expecting the alien, but what seemed to be a small female was at his side instead. Slender and dark-haired, with pale white skin she almost glowed in the faint moonlight. Could it be..? He didn't dwell, moving on and she helped him silently.

The pair haphazardly traveled away from the abandoned building, keeping to the backstreet behind the buildings. They had to stop a few times for rests, Dib feeling the strain of his recent physical mishaps. He most certainly had some fractured ribs, lighting fire under his lungs with every breath of freezing night air. He glanced up at the sky as daylight was starting to overtake the dirty yellow streetlight. The girl drew them to a stop near the corner of an awakening street and looked up at him. He looked back and saw just a faint glimmer of red behind her beautiful green eyes. His stomach twinged uneasily. She glanced around, then grabbed him by the throat and pushed him against the wall. His hands lifted to defend but something sharp stabbed into his neck and he felt weightless, sliding down the wall as the world spun away to black.


	9. Chapter 9

Comfortable, clean light pressed gently at his eyelids and Dib obligated, opening them. He blinked a few times and stared at the white ceiling that seemed just slightly too close. He became aware of soft humming sounds, like machines quietly doing their job nearby. Shifting, he sat up on one elbow and looked around.

The room was impossibly white and well-lit, small, with only the bed-like structure he laid upon taking up space. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes, the right one irritatingly blurry. It dawned on him that he could actually open his right eye and he did so again, looking down at his hands. His skin was clean, his clothing gone, exposing him uncomfortably. Dib rubbed at his right eye again but couldn't seem to clear the haze in it. He touched at his face gently. The swelling was gone, no trace of the injury remaining as far as he could feel. He looked down at his leg and saw the greyish alien substance smoothed neatly over where the rebar had made it's ugly intrusion.

Dib shifted to sit at the edge of the bed and noticed his clothing folded neatly beside it. He picked up his pants and stood slowly, carefully, testing the injured leg and then pulling his jeans on with satisfaction as it held him with no pain or protest. He wiggled into the dirty sweatshirt and stepped towards the rounded opening of the room, having to stoop to avoid bumping his head.

The doorway opened into a hallway, equally white and clean. He started walking slowly, looking into rooms he passed as he went. Most were empty, but he stopped when he saw another human in one. The man was laying on his bed, curled on his side, back to the door. A glass-like substance barred the doorway, sealing him inside. Dib raised a hand to tap but something whipped through his peripherals and he suddenly found himself suspended, wires wrapping tightly around his wrists, legs, and throat, lifting him off his feet in a most uncomfortable manner. He struggled but the wires wrapped tightly, choking off his protests.

A door at the end of the hall slid opened and the alien started walking towards him, saying something irritably in a tongue Dib had never heard. A computer voice replied in the same language, though pointedly more clipped and un-rolling, and Dib was dropped. He collected himself on his feet and took a step back from the alien nervously as it continued towards him. Something pounded the glass of the room next to him and he jumped, stumbling across the hall into the door of the opposite room. A human male he'd neglected to notice earlier was staring at him, hands slamming against the glass. His lips moved as if speaking but Dib couldn't hear him.

Zim stopped before the room and raised an arm as if to backhand. The man flinched and quickly scrambled away, sliding beneath his bed and hiding there, lips still moving. The alien kept going past Dib, and he followed angrily.

"Hey, you can't keep humans captive like this!" He reached for Zim but the alien whirled around, grabbing the side of his head in one hand. Something pricked at his skin and suddenly he was in a room back at the labs, agents and lab workers surrounding him, speaking to one another. He struggled to breathe, chest tight with fear and pain as machines documented his functions, gloved human hands groping his exposed body, instruments and needles invading his flesh. Searing pain as his PAK is pried from his back, wires snipped and pulled and torn until they relent, withdrawing to leave him naked, biting his tongue to withhold screams.

Zim released him and Dib fell to his knees, gasping. The Irken continued on his way. Dib stared at the floor, breathing hard. He could still feel the remnants of the memory, ghosts of adrenaline burning his veins as the scent of fear left his nostrils. After awhile, he got to his feet and stepped after the alien. He passed more humans this directions, male and female of all ages, some shaking, lips moving, others sitting motionless, eyes hollow.

The door slid open to him and he stepped into a larger room, blinking to adjust to the dim lights. The Irken is seated at a computer, tapping a keyboard. Dib tries to make sense of the strange symbols, fascinated in spite of himself. The alien glances at him briefly as he steps closer but continues his work as if he isn't there. Dib turns and looks around the room, taking in the tables, cabinets, screens, machines. He steps over to a bank of smaller monitors. They flicker between familiar scenes; a quiet street, neighboring houses, parked cars, people walking dogs and baby strollers. Is this outside of here? He moves to a table scattered with papers and charts, picking one up and flipping through it. Pages of alien text and rudimentary drawings of animals, plants, humans. He sets it back down and moves on, scanning over odd machines and computers. An unseen door slides open, startling him, and he peeks his head inside. A small room like the one he awoke in, only the walls of this one are lined with drawings, texts, human objects such as colorful gum wrappers, magazine ads, photographs, fliars. He finds a lost dog poster on the floor and picks it up, looking into the face of a cute collie. It is dated four years ago. Dib sets it on the bed and notices two machines on the wall above the bed, wires hanging from them. He reaches to touch one but a green hand grabs his wrist. He lowers his arm and watches the alien pick up the ad and stick it to the wall among others. The Irken glances at him and leaves the room silently. Dib follows.

"Can you speak my language?" he asks, following the alien through the room. "I mean, you spoke into the radio. How did you know to do that? What to say?"

Zim doesn't respond, leading him into another hallway. The door slides shut behind them.

"Can you understand me?" Dib glances into the rooms they pass. Lab rooms, perhaps, with alien equipment prepped and awaiting horrific experiments. Not unlike the labs at the agency. "Thank you. For saving my life."

The Irken's antennae twitch. He leads Dib to the end of the hall and presses a button on the wall. Dib turns to face him, frowning.

"I wish I could speak with you."

A door slides open behind him and the alien places a delicate hand on his chest, pushing him until he steps back into a tiny room. The glass-like door slides shut again and Dib watches the alien begin sliding downward as his room moves up; an elevator. The crimson eyes watch him until they can no more and Dib looks around the small room as blank wall slides by before him. A soft hiss emits from the ceiling and he starts to feel tired. Maybe he will just close his eyes for a moment..

He slides to the floor as the elevator takes him up, away from the lab, back to the world he knows.


	10. Chapter 10

"I've never seen anything like it," the young attending said, clicking off his penlight and peeling off his gloves, discarding them in the hazmat bin.

"Can it be fixed?" Dib asks, blinking ghost-light spots from his vision.

"Well, a hospital can do surgery to remove the hydrogel, and your eye itself should be in-tact behind it." He shook his head. "I've seen a folded contact lens before, but never grown into a torn eyelid. It looks as if it healed to the lens. How long ago do you say you were hit?"

"Um, about a week." He's never had a fractured orbital before but assumes that would be a relatively believable healing time period, though in reality it's only been a day or two.

The attending looks at him a long moment, then writes something down on a chart. "And you say you received no treatment for this?"

"Uh, well no, I just iced it.. And, um, put some neosporin on it." Dib rubs the back of his neck.

"Neosporin. On a fracture."

"Well some of it got in my eye, so.."

The attending raises brows at him and writes something else down. "Ok, well, I'm going to refer you to an ophthalmologist at the General." He tore off a sheet of paper and handed it to Dib. "In the meantime, don't put anything else in your eye, leave it alone. Make an appointment as soon as you can. See the receptionist to check out."

Dib pocketed the paper and rose from the table. "Hey, doctor?"

"Hm?" the young man lifted his gaze from the chart.

"Ah, I don't have anything on me at the moment.. But could you keep this.. undocumented? I have cash at home, I can-"

"Sir, everything is confidential between doctor and patients. Your records won't be disclosed to anyone."

"I know but.. There might be someone.."

The attending nodded, holding up a hand. "Alright. Get some help, okay? Don't stay in a bad situation."

Dib nodded, thinking this guy must figure he has a crazy girlfriend or something. He stops at the receptionist to check out, giving his fake name and explaining he has no driver's or insurance for the fourth time. She hands him a bill with payment options and sends him on his way.

He steps outside, shivering slightly in the cold October air. He starts walking, head down in thought, and bumps into a young woman.

"Oh, excuse me, I'm sorry," he looks up, embarrassed. She smiles tightly and nods, hurrying around him. Dib pauses outside a sub shop and dips inside after a wary glance around.

"Excuse me, may I use your phone?"

The shop owner regards him suspiciously but nods, placing it up on the counter. Dib dials a number and waits uncomfortably through five rings. Just before voicemail picks up, an irritated voice.

"What?"

"Gaz?"

"Who is this?" She sounds exactly the same. Two years haven't changed her a bit.

"It's me."

"Jesus Dib, what? I'm busy."

"I need a favor.."

"Jesus."

"Please don't hang up, okay, I'm sorry. I need you to come get me." He glances around at the shop owner and two customers pretending not to listen and lowers his voice. "I fucked up. I'm in bad."

A long pause and a sigh. "Where?"

He gives her directions, thanks the shop owner, and then goes outside to wait, feeling guilty he can't at least buy a drink or chips to make up for using the phone.

Gaz pulls up ten minutes later and he slides into her car. She drives without a word.

"Thank you." Dib folds his hands in his lap uncomfortably, watching the passing street and cars. He notices she is taking him towards his apartment. "No, not to my place."

"Then where?"

"I don't.. I.."

She sighs exaggeratedly and turns onto the highway leading to her own home. They say nothing the rest of the ride, the tension thick enough to bite.

Gaz pulls into her garage and gets out, leaving him as the door folds down, darkening the room. She goes into her house without a look back and Dib eventually gets out and follows.

Her house is so nicely decorated, pleasant and welcoming, unlike Gaz herself. Photos line the walls of Gaz and their father, a cat, friends, but none of Dib. She bangs around in the kitchen and Dib quietly lowers himself to a couch in the modest living room, looking about at the candles and magazines and a discarded pair tennis shoes.

Gaz appears with a plate of leftover lasagna and a glass of water. She sets both on the coffee table in front of Dib and leaves the room. His stomach claws ravenously and he picks up the plate, realizing how starved he is. His mind replays events as he eats. He awoke in an alleyway not far from the walk-in clinic, completely unaware of how he got there. He vaguely remembers the little elevator, the alien descending from view. Then.. nothing. Waking up cold in the strange place. It was afternoon, but he realized he didn't even know the exact time.

He heard the water run and sighed at the mere thought of a warm shower. He has nothing to change into though.

Dib stood from the couch and carried his empty dishes into the kitchen, placing them in the dishwasher. He noticed a small photo taped to the side of the fridge and leaned to get a better look. Himself and Gaz as kids, grinning silly stupid child smiles at some classmate's birthday party. One of the few they went to. Who took this photo? Certainly not their father. He was always too busy, too absent when they were growing up. Dib hadn't seen him in almost ten years, when he moved out of home at seventeen after high school. Gaz stayed, and it seemed she had a better relationship with their father after Dib left. Maybe Membrane realized he was loosing his children after Dib packed up. Or maybe he could make time for one child but not two.

"Go take a shower, you fuckin' smell." Gaz's voice startled him. He turned to look at her, then sheepishly made his way to the bathroom. He undressed and stepped into the warm stream of water, wanting to melt away into the drain with it. Gaz entered the room and picked up his clothes.

"Christ, these are fucked." She left again, taking the clothes with her. He heard the door open and close a few minutes later.

Dib pressed a hand against the wall and let the water run over his head, as if it could wash his thoughts away.

The alien. Why did it fix him up and release him, like an animal injured and trapped and released back into the wild. What about those other humans there, locked away like lab rats. What had he done to them? Dib wanted to help them but he remembered the alien's memory and shivered. Maybe they deserved their fate. Maybe he deserved the same.

He stepped out of the shower after a long while and wrapped up in a towel, feeling better. The man ran a hand over the fogged mirror and looked at himself closely, frowning. He needed a shave for sure. His attention went to his right eye. His contact lens had folded and apparently grown into a laceration underneath the lid. The alien's healing stuff didn't discriminate apparently. He looked down at the bit of stuff left on his finger and peeled it away. The cut from the mirror shard was gone, no mark left. Dib thought to check his leg and back but decided to leave it for a time. He took his left contact out and rinsed it, then replaced it so he could see out of one eye at least. Every time he blinked he felt the swipe of the right lens and it made his eye water.

A knock on the door disrupted his thoughts and he straightened.

"Here." Gaz opened the door and dropped a bag inside.

Dib picked it up and looked inside at the brand new clothes. He sighed.

The teal sweatshirt fit him perfectly, as did the jeans and socks. His boots were dirty and scarred but still good. He dressed quickly, feeling almost like new.

Gaz sat curled on the end of the couch, reading a book and sipping from a coffee mug. Dib stepped into the room hesitantly. Her eyes lifted to him briefly, then returned to their story.

"Thank you." He tugged at a sleeve and smoothed down the sweater self-consciously.

"Mm-hmm."

"I'm off now."

"Where?"

"I have some unfinished business."

"Dib." She sighed and snapped her book shut. "Why can't you ever just leave shit alone?"

He looked at her but she held up a hand, cutting him off.

"No. Go ahead. You're reckless and fucking stupid but you're going to do you anyways. At least let me drop you off somewhere."

"No, that's alright, I'll get a cab."

"With what money?"

His cheeks warmed and he looked down. She stood and moved across the room, picking up her purse and digging inside.

"Gaz, no-"

"Shut it." She produced a wad of bills and shoved them into his pocket. "Go on."

He shook his head but then reached out to touch her shoulder. She crossed her arms and leaned back, glaring. He dropped his hand and turned for the door.

"Dib."

He glanced back, hand on the door handle.

"Stay safe. _Please_."

He took his leave, shutting the door quietly behind him. Twilight colored the sky a beautiful star-flecked purple, barely visible behind the flickering streetlights. He thought back on the images from the screens as he walked. A street. Houses, parked cars. People walking. A cul-de-sac? There must be a million neighborhoods in this city, pin-pointing one will be impossible.

Suddenly, a thought dawned on him and he hastened his pace.


	11. Chapter 11

Dib stood at the end of the street and stared at the simple, run-down house at the end of the cul-de-sac. He glanced at a fence nearby and sure enough, there was the spray-painted graffiti sign he remembered seeing in one of the security camera feeds. Dib learned from local police that that particular gang only tagged this area of town. After assessing that fact, it was easy enough to narrow his scope down to one neighborhood.

He started walking towards the house slowly, checking around him for signs of life. Most of the houses in this neighborhood were also dilapidated, possibly even uninhabited. Certainly not a neighborhood he'd walk his dog or baby in. Maybe it looked better during the daytime.

As he drew closer to the house, he glanced about for the security cameras but couldn't see them. Something caught his attention as he passed under a broken streetlight. A voice called softly from one of the nearby houses, feminine and pressing. Crying? He turned towards the sound, frowning. A small figure crouched beside one of the two-story houses in the bushes. Dib stepped towards it.

"Hey, are you alright?"

The sounds continued, delicate, pained sobs as he drew closer. He stopped a few feet away, looking at the young female kneeling in the grass, face in her hands.

"Miss? Are you hurt?" He stepped forward and reached out. She looked up and lifted a hand to him, tear streaming from beautiful green eyes. Dib moved closer and took her hand, helping her to her feet. She sniffled, one hand clutched to her chest as she held onto his tightly with the other, gazing towards the back yard.

"My dog is missing," she whimpered. "He ran back there but I'm afraid to go alone."

Dib looked up at the yard, then back down to her.

"I'll go with you."

She nodded and moved towards the back yard, leading him by the hand. He followed, a sense of unease creeping across his senses. They stopped near the back door and looked around.

"Oh," she exhaled, "I don't see him."

"Maybe he's in the bushes." Dib looked towards the neighboring house's shrubbery. He turned back to her and something heavy fell across his temple, striking him to the ground. He blinked and watched as the girl's face leaned into his sight, eyes flashing purple. She smiled.

"Sweet human, come inside. It's cold out here."

He tried to move and she struck him again.


	12. Chapter 12

"Ohh dear," a soft voice whispered near his ear. Dib stirred and opened his eyes, moaning. His head pounded dully.

"Oh, I'm sorry I hurt you." A hand caressed through his hair gently, smoothing it back from his face. "I do hope you'll forgive me."

Dib tried to sit up but couldn't move his arms. Something bit into his wrists as he shifted them.

"No no, shh, don't move." A hand touched his side, holding him still. "Don't hurt yourself."

"Who are you?" He tried to move his legs but found his ankles were bound as well.

"No matter, don't you worry about me." Her hand slid slowly down to his hip and lingered there, sharp claws pricking his skin through the sweater. "You'll be right enough, soon enough." She giggled and stood, stepping away from him. He watched as she paced over to the window, drawing the blinds open to let in street and moon light. She turned back to him and smiled sweetly, human skin shimmering away to show green, hair giving way to curled antennae. Her glamour fell from her body almost gracefully and she laughed at his expression.

"What's wrong, human? Don't you find me beautiful?" She ran a hand down her side and then crouched down beside him.

"Let me go," Dib demanded, struggling. The female alien placed her hands on his shoulders and pressed him back against the floor.

"No," she breathed, leaning close to his face. Claws trailed down his arm and traced lightly over his abdomen before running back up his other arm and resting on his shoulder. "I think I like you here."

"What are you doing?" Dib struggled, twisting his wrists in attempt to free them.

"Be still." She purred softly and touched her forehead to his, antennae caressing his hair and cheeks. Dib tried to shake her off but she seized his chin, claws digging into his skin as she held him firm. Her free hand explored his body, running down his chest and curving around his hip. The Irken gently cupped the undesired stiffness in his jeans and she giggled, sitting up.

"Oh, dear."

Dib felt his face burning with anger, fear, and indignation. He tried to turn away from her but she pinned him again easily with one hand.

"You don't like me?" she asked, tone dripping with feigned hurt. "Your organic begs to differ." She grabbed him, roughly this time, causing him to jump and suck in a breath.

"Fine." She rose and walked away to the window. "You'll be here when I return. Plenty of time to change your mind."

Dib watched with growing horror as the air seemed to shimmer around her. She slowly transformed, morphing into a perfect copy of him. She looked down at herself and smiled.

"Not too bad, eh?" She sounded like him even. "Good enough anyways."

The Dib-glamoured alien crossed the room to the door and pulled it open.

"Be good. I'll be back darling." She slipped out, closing the door behind her.

Dib closed his eyes, shaking his head slightly. What is going on.


	13. Chapter 13

Zim saw the human enter his field of view and frowned, brow furrowing. How did he find his way back here? He switched to another camera view and watched as the human male made his way up the short walkway to his door and stood there, looking around warily.

"Computer," he called quietly. "Open the door."

"Door opened."

Zim rose from his seat and moved towards the elevator.

The female smiled with Dib's lips as the door swung open slowly. She stepped inside and nudged it shut behind her with a foot. Too easy.

* * *

Dib worked his wrists back and forth, twisting slowly as he did. He listened for any returning footsteps, eyes fixed on the door. The bindings were loosening ever so slightly with each turn of his wrists.

* * *

Zim drew a deep breath and faced the human as he stepped from the elevator. "Human..." Why are you here?

"I've returned," Dib said quietly, head down.

Zim shook his head and stepped towards him, one hand held behind his back, gripping the blade tightly.

"You shouldn't have come here."

The human raised his head and Zim stopped short. No, something wasn't right. He turned his head slightly, eyeing the man.

"Human," he drew the word out slowly, eyes narrowing.

"Hello.. Invader." A sharp-toothed grin as the glamour fell away, amethyst eyes shining.

* * *

Dib sat up and rubbed his wrists, looking down at the rope. Why would an alien use simple rope? He began untying his feet.

* * *

Zim grunted as the female slammed him against the wall, her extensions entwining with his.

"I've been watching you, Zim," she breathed into his face. "The Tallest aren't pleased with your consorting."

"I was captured," he spit, shoving her away and bringing the blade defensively before him.

"A good little invader doesn't get captured." She purred, then snapped her teeth together, gaze hardening. "And what of this human pet of yours? You're done. Computer!"

"You can't order my security against me," Zim protested angrily.

"Can't I?" Her PAK extensions slide away neatly as she snapped off a lengthy code.

"Rearmed," the robotic voice sounded throughout the building, startling the humans in the lab below. "Ready."

Tak grinned as Zim's face paled.

* * *

Dib stepped from the house slowly, peering outside. Two aliens. Are there others on Earth as well? What are they doing here, and why? The female alien was.. infinitely different from the male, it seemed. And she spoke his language, quite fluidly. Could the male understand him this entire time? He started towards the house at the end of the street, needing answers.

The door pushed open easily and he moved inside warily, looking about. The interior of the house was dimly-lit, but seemingly just like any ordinary house. Impersonal art decorated the walls scarcely. Picture frames with the example photos still in them. It would have been funny on a different day.

A whisper of movement behind him and a cold hand slid around his throat, pulling him back.

"Darling," the soft, feminine voice breathed in his ear. "You came to play." She spoke English now, for the benefit of the human.

Dib tried to slip away but a sharp point at his throat halted him.

"Ah, ah, no. Good pet." She walked him forward, into the light from the kitchen.

Crimson eyes met his and narrowed. He said something in his tongue, then spit "Fucking stupid human."

A thick wire tightened around his throat, pulling his head back. Dib stared at him, confused and scared. So he did speak.

"Is that any way to address your guest?" The female stood on tip-toes to nuzzle against the side of Dib's neck. He winced away but she held him firm.

"You're rude, Zim."

He glared silently at the two of them.

"This one, he called me _beautiful_ ," she sighed the last word as if in awe. Dib twitched at the feel of her breath. Zim looked at him and he thought the alien male seemed questioning, though he was hard to read.

"He said I'm lovely and he wanted to touch me and love me." She took Dib's hand and drew it behind his back, touching herself with it. He pulled his arm away and spun out of her grasp, backing away from her.

She smiled and ran a finger over the curved blade in her hand, gazing at it.

"This one has manners. Unlike some _species_."

Zim growled and Dib moved away from him as well, not letting his back to either one. Zim was held in the center of the room by wires from the ceiling, wrapped and entwined around his arms, throat, and torso.

"You're here for me," Zim hissed.

"Yes but that doesn't mean I can't detour." The female stepped over to Zim and touched his cheek, then moved into the kitchen.

"Computer, seize the human."

A wire fell from the ceiling and wrapped around Dib's ankle, pulling him off his feet. His head hit the floor as it hoisted him into the air.

Tak ran fingers over the wall and the hidden elevator door slid open. She stepped inside and turned, waving at them before disappearing.

Zim turned his attention to Dib.

"Human."

Dib blinked and looked at him dizzily, swinging slightly from his uncomfortable suspension.

"You need to get down."

He stared at the alien for a moment, not understanding, then leaned his head to look at the wire wrapped around his ankle.

"The override system isn't intuitive," Zim said. "It needs to be commanded. If you get loose it won't pursue you."

Dib nodded slightly and swung himself enough to reach and grab onto his knee. He strained but held tight, reaching his other hand to pull at the wire. It tightened and he lost his grip, swinging down with a grunt. He looked around the floor for anything of use but saw nothing nearby. Swinging again, he grabbed onto his leg and reached up to unzip his boot. Maybe, just maybe.

He slid the zipper to the wire and then grabbed onto the bottom of his boot, wiggling his ankle at the almost impossible angle. After a painfully long moment, he dropped to the floor on his back in surprise. The wire tightened, crushing his empty boot, then released it and slid away into the ceiling. Dib got to his feet slowly, retrieving the boot and slipping it back on. The door stood enticingly open but he looked back at Zim. Why would two aliens of the same race be fighting? It made no sense.

Outside, rain began to patter softly.

Dib gritted his teeth and moved to the male quickly.

"Get out, human," Zim hissed, clenching his fists.

Dib ignored him, looking the wires over quickly before he began pulling at the one around the Irken's throat. It tightened more, causing him to cough, and Dib moved his hand away. He circled behind Zim and found the end of one wire, sliding his fingers under it and pulling. It tried to tighten but he pulled harder and heard it crackle as it gave slightly.

A hand touched his shoulder and he turned, punching the female in the face without thought. She stumbled back in shock, gasping, and he pursued, hitting her again and grabbing her wrist, twisting sharply until the blade clattered to the floor. She recovered quickly and raked claws down his face, then dove for the blade. Dib stepped on it and knocked her against the wall. The back of her head bounced off the wall and she cried softly, cowering as he raised a fist again. The human faltered, lowering his arm slightly. She looked up at him and grinned, metal flashing as an extension shot towards him.

Something wrapped around his middle at that moment and jerked him back. He sprawled on the floor as metal clashed above him. Zim pounced the female in a fray of metal and claws and animalistic snarls. Dib had a brief image of fighting cats before jumping to his feet. He snatched up the knife and looked to help but couldn't get close enough.

"Outside!" Zim snapped, slamming the female to the floor and struggling to hold her. "Get outside!"

Dib took a step back, then turned and fled out the door and into the rain, heavy and blinding now. He stopped at the end of the walkway and looked back. Just leave. Leave. Leave it alone. Alien business is not his business, and he's lucky he was saved so many goddamn times already. Before he could decide what to do, a click pierced the rain behind him and he turned, staring into muzzle of agent Kens' gun not five feet away.

"Drop the weapon," he said, voice raised over the rain. Dib obeyed and raised his hands slowly, placing them atop his head. Two security guards flanked him, weapons trained on his. Kens lifted a radio but his eyes shifted behind Dib and he swung his weapon quickly.

Dib dropped to the ground as shots fired and covered his head. An inhuman snarl flew past him and one of the guards screamed, gurgled, fell to the pavement. More shots, another strangled scream cut off suddenly. Dib lifted his head and froze as the Irken crouched over him, extensions planted around him. Warmth dripped onto his neck from the alien's body and his skin prickled. Zim hissed at Kens, teeth bared. The agent, bleeding freely from beneath a hand pressed to his side, stared at them a long moment before slowly backing away to his vehicle to radio help.

Tak, watching silently from the house, melted away into the shadows. More are coming.

Zim moved off of Dib and fled, vanishing into the dark. Dib snatched up one of the fallen officer's guns and followed.

The wounded agent watched them from inside the vehicle as he waited for help to come.


	14. Chapter 14

Dib followed the green splashes on the sidewalk quickly, rainwater already blurring them. As much as he might have wanted to leave it alone, just turn around and leave this city and everything in it behind, he couldn't ignore that the alien had risked it's life several times for him now. He needed to know why.

The agency knew of the alien's hideout now, his lab, technology, and the humans.. They would be rescued. No, they would be killed. The agency would never allow them to live after what they'd seen. Dib's mouth set in a grim line as he thought about the things he had done while working for them. The lives he'd ruined. It dawned on him that maybe he wasn't the good guy in this story. Maybe someone else was. Maybe no one was.

The trail of blood led him behind the neighborhood and towards the river. Pausing before a road, Dib glanced down at the staggering boot prints in the mud of the small embankment, sliding and slipping in their hasten to flee. He kept going. The trail was all but gone now and he stopped to look around, panting. The river rushed beneath the bridge before him and he started to cross it but something caught his eye. Grass, mud, and debris told where had recently tumbled and slid down the embankment. Cautious of his footing, Dib followed the streaks down. Once under the cover of the bridge, he pushed his hair back out of his face and looked around.

Claw marks and blood smudged halfway up one of the cement support pillars. Dib stepped back and looked up, trying to spy the alien. He started to circle it but suddenly spotted a figure huddled between a lean of plywood and the wall. Dib approached slowly and knelt down, reaching to touch him.

Zim's head snapped up and he lashed out. Dib grabbed his wrist before claws wrecked his face.

"Hey, it's ok, it's me." Not that that was of any consolation, really. Who was he but another human that had hunted this creature?

Zim bared his teeth and drew away, wrapping his arms around himself as he settled further beneath his little shelter. Dib sat down against the wall and looked at him. The alien's skin was singed and blistered, blood dripping to the dirt slowly. What the hell had caused that? He looked out over the river, swelled and rushing. The rain had nearly stopped, no more than a quiet whisper on the bridge above them. Dib brushed a drip of water from his brow and turned to the alien again.

His head was down, tucked into his arms, and he shivered silently. Dib hesitated, then stood and moved the plywood board. He scooped the alien up carefully and started walking.

Zim's head lolled against his chest and he cracked his eyes open, unseeing. Warmth, soft heartbeat murmuring against his cheek, familiar but alien scent of the human gracing his antennae. He closed his eyes again.


	15. Chapter 15

"What is it called?" A voice, too faint and far away to be of any concern.

"I don't know. I think.. I think his name is _Zim_." His name, yes, that was his name, spoken from a familiar tone. Who is that? Not his language. Too much effort to listen. He slid back to the soft pull of the darkness. Rest, it whispered, all will still be there when you awaken. Very well.

* * *

Dib closed the door quietly behind him as he stepped from the room and glanced longingly at the shower as he passed.

Gaz handed him a warm coffee mug and crossed her arms, looking down the hall at the closed door.

"I don't feel good about this."

"I know, I'm sorry." Dib held the mug between his hands, breathing in the coffee smell. "I had nowhere else."

She sighed. "I told you to stay safe."

"I am."

She shot him a look and then waved dismissively.

"Get dressed. I think the dryer is done."

Dib set his mug on the counter reluctantly and went into the garage to fetch his and the alien's clothes. He changed in the bathroom and started to hang up Gaz's robe but thought better and tossed it into the laundry basket.

She stood leaned against the door frame to the spare room, staring hard at the alien. Dib stepped around her and set Zim's folded clothing on the bedside table. He'd placed Zim under a heated blanket after stripping him and wrapping the bullet graze on his shoulder. It didn't seem serious but he supposed he would find out when the alien woke up. There was nothing he could do for the burns. It seemed absurd but he thought perhaps the rainwater was the culprit. It was the only thing that made sense in the situation.

"Well, do I have to feed it?"

Dib sat in a plush armchair next to the bed and shook his head.

"I don't know. I haven't ever seen him eat."

"Okay." She turned and left. A moment later he heard the cabinets open.

Dib sat back and watched the resting alien, deep in thought. His thoughts gradually morphed to dreams as he drifted off.

* * *

A scream woke him with a start. He sat up straight. How long had he been asleep? Dib looked at the empty bed and missing clothes and got to his feet quickly.

Gaz stood trapped in the hall between Zim and the kitchen, holding a plastic cooking spoon out in front of her with both hands.

Zim hissed at her, advancing tensely.

"Hey, stop!" Dib stepped up behind him from the hallway. The alien whirled around and took a swipe at him like a startled cat. Dib side-stepped it and glared. Zim backed away from him into the living room, effectively avoiding Gaz as well. He sat on the couch silently, staring at the floor but watching Dib from the corner of his eye.

Gaz sighed and straightened, lowering the spoon. Dib looked at her a long moment before bursting out in laughter. Both Zim and Gaz looked at him in alarm.

"What? _What_?" she crossed her arms defensively.

"A fucking.. plastic spoon," Dib managed, gasping.

She tossed it on the counter and ruffled her dark hair angrily.

"Yeah, well, it snuck up on me and, you know, that's all I fucking had, okay!" She stomped back into the kitchen and resumed cooking, banging a pot lid and bowls loudly.

Dib got himself under control and swiped at tears before he looked at Zim, who quickly looked away again. The man crossed the living room and sat down on the floor across from him.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly.

Zim didn't respond, looking away at the window. Daylight was slowly filtering in through the blinds as the world outside awoke.

"Food," Gaz reappeared and handed Dib a bowl. He accepted it gratefully. She placed one in front of Zim and then sat at the far end of the couch with her's. Zim leaned to peer at the soup, then sat back again. Dib lowered his spoon, frowning.

"What do you eat?" he asked. Zim didn't reply, just looked away to the window again. Dib resumed eating quietly. He had to stifle a yawn several times, realizing he hadn't slept in.. how long? Does being unconscious count?

When Gaz finished, she took her bowl to the kitchen and stole away to her bedroom. She returned not long after dressed in a grey business suit, purse in hand.

"State inspection this week, have to be in early," she explained, taking her keys off the little hook by the kitchen. "You can stay here today," she said, speaking to Dib but glancing at Zim as she said it. "I'll be home around four."

Dib nodded and stood, stretching.

"I think I'll try to get some sleep."

"Yeah, okay. Just.. be safe." Gaz glanced at the alien again before leaving. Dib took his bowl to the sink and listened to the garage door open and close before returning to the living room.

"You can stay here, if you want. It's safe."

Zim didn't stir, but turned his head to watch the human as he went down the hall to the spare bedroom. Dib eased himself onto the bed on top of the blankets, everything aching. The simple act of laying down was bliss. He was asleep in moments.

The Irken sat in silence for awhile before looking into the bowl again. He got up and carried it to the sink. The photos on the wall caught his attention as he stepped from the kitchen and he stopped to look. The human female, Gaz, looked only vaguely like Dib and nearly nothing like their father. Dib on the other hand looked very much like his father, though he wasn't in any of the photos. Humans had such strange reproductive habits. From what Zim had gathered during his time on Earth, a human male and female mated with each other based on comparisons in pheromones and bodily chemicals, creating an infant human inside the female. She carried it like a parasite for several months and then the tiny human clawed its way out of her. Such a barbaric way of reproducing. Irkens didn't have such family structure. They were all created from a genetic copy code and grew inside incubation pods until strong enough to survive on the outside. They were fitted with PAKs and set to work. He supposed all Irkens were siblings, in a way, though they had no such societal affiliations. Irkens were created for specific jobs, and emotional ties had no place in their functions.

Zim didn't see a matriarch figure in any of the photos and wondered about Gaz and Dib's mother. Moving back into the living room, he gazed around the brightening space. He could easily leave under his disguise, but where would he go? His base was most certainly overrun by humans by now and with his security in override there would be no barriers to stop them. He sighed. Tak. Why had his leaders felt the need to send her? Sure, he had been captured but he had also escaped, and his base would not have been compromised without the human coming around. Of course, he would not have escaped death without the human, too, so he could not entirely lay blame. Such complications. Such a damn fine mess, as he'd heard somewhere on Earth.

He looked towards the bedroom. Such a damn fine mess.


	16. Chapter 16

Dib awoke close to 7:00pm. He sat up, stretched, and took a moment to orient himself before getting up to see if Gaz was home.

"Gaz?" he tapped on her closed bedroom door. No answer. Venturing to the living room, he saw that he had the house to himself. The alien seemed to be gone as well.

Dib sighed and peeked in the garage, noting the absence of Gaz's car, and then paced into the kitchen. Well, the alien was gone, likely not to return, so maybe now it's time to get back to what he should be doing with himself. Can't go home, can't stay here and keep putting Gaz in danger.

He was pouring himself a glass of water from the fridge when he heard the garage open. Gaz must have stayed late because of inspections.

"Hey," he called as the door opened and shut.

She passed him without a word and looked around the living room, then disappeared down the hallway. He leaned against the counter with his glass and glanced at the photo of them as kids. Maybe things will be different once all this mess is over. Not that it would ever really be over. The agency will hunt him for the rest of his life.

"Where's the alien?" Gaz asked, sweeping into the small kitchen and looking around.

"He was gone when I woke up." Dib set his glass down on the counter.

"How long ago?"

"What?"

"How long ago did he leave?" she snapped.

"I don't know, I just got up a little while ago. I've been out since you left."

She hissed and then looked up at Dib, smiling a little too wide.

"Well I've no use for you then."

Cold crept over his flesh with realization. "You're not Gaz."

Purple flashed like a razor across her eyes and she drew a knife from behind her.

"No, darling."

As she stepped towards him, he grabbed the glass of water and threw it on her. Tak shrieked and covered her face, stumbling back. Dib shoved past her to the door, pitching it open and running into the garage. The garage door had closed behind her and he looked around frantically for the button. It was on the wall beside the door to the house and he made for it but the female appeared in the doorway, disguise dissolving away. She glared at him, rage in her eyes, the skin of her face burnt and peeling.

"I will kill you!" She leaped at him and he stumbled back, tripping over a box and falling. Tak landed atop him, lithe as a cat, and brought the snaked blade down. He grabbed her wrist and grappled with her. She was a lot stronger than he'd imagined.

"I will drink your blood, human," she hissed, baring dangerously pointed teeth. Dib struggled and got his legs up, kicking her off. He scrambled for the door but she grabbed his leg, dragging him under her. Standing, she flipped him over like a child and lifted him by the throat, slamming his back against the wall. He kicked out but her grip was tight, claws pricking his skin.

She glared up at him a long moment as he choked, then smiled suddenly and dropped him.

"Go on, then."

Dib curled a hand around his throat, coughing, and looked up as she pressed the button to open the garage.

"Go."

He got to his feet warily, watching her as she crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. Outside it was growing dark rapidly, clouds hanging low and heavy with snow. He stepped outside and glanced back at her. She watched him silently, smiling, eyes gleaming. Dib ran.

He fled the area, following the quiet street back towards the inner city. Stopping to catch his breath, he noticed fresh skid marks on the pavement up ahead, the guard rail broken through. Jogging forward, Dib looked down the embankment and his heart clenched. His sister's car lay overturned at the bottom of the ravine against a tree.

No, not the same car, it's not. Sliding quickly down the embankment, he circled the vehicle and dropped to his knees. The driver's door hung ajar, blood splashed across the front windshield and steering wheel. He leaned and vomited weakly, shaking, before reaching in and pulling Gaz out to lay her in the leaves. Her throat was torn out with little effort. Dib stared blankly a long moment before curling over her and crying out as if stabbed. He buried his face in her blood-matted hair and screamed but no sound came.

He didn't know how long he stayed that way, but he sat up slowly when something cold touched his neck. Lifting his face, he stared into the starless sky as snow began drifting lazily down. Looking back down at Gaz, he touched her long-cold cheek. This has gone too far.

Leaning past his sister, Dib crawled into the vehicle and opened the glove box. It's contents spilled out and he picked up the handgun she carried for safety, checking it's ammo, then tucked it into his belt. He pulled Gaz's purse out and opened her wallet. She changed her last name, he noticed as he slid her driver's license out and pocketed it. He found the emergency kit in the trunk and pulled a few road flairs. Climbing the embankment, he set them alight near the guard rail and then started walking.

This has gone too far.


	17. Chapter 17

Dib stared at the lit building from across the road for a long time. Thinking. He finally took a deep breath and crossed the street, lifting his hands and placing them atop his head as he approached. It took only a moment for a security guard to catch sight of him and radio others. Dib stopped beside the fountain in the courtyard and got down on his knees, keeping his hands in place as security officers rushed out to apprehend him.

* * *

"Membrane," Agent Kens stepped into the room and sat across the small table from him. Dib looked up at him. He'd been sitting in this room for hours, hands cuffed and folded on the table in front of him. They'd searched him and taken his weapon, of course, as well as everything else he'd had on him.

"What brings you back? I'm told you turned yourself in."

"I'm here for my job."

Kens tilted his head as he crossed his arms and sat back, regarding him.

"Oh? And what makes you think-"

"There are two aliens."

Kens sat forward slowly, placing his hands on the table.

"Two. How do you know this?"

"I saw. A female. I think she's come after the male."

"To rescue?"

"To eliminate."

Kens stood and paced over the the one-way window, looking at his reflecting and rubbing his chin.

"What do you propose?"

"Promote me. Field." Dib lifted his chin, eyes hard. "I'll track them."

"You're confident in this?"

"The male will come with me. Easily."

Agent Kens turned to him and smiled.

* * *

His apartment was in shambles, broken into and searched by the agency. Dib sighed as he stepped over books and CDs, picking up a few things halfheartedly and placing them on his coffee table. He would need a new lock on the door. It's a wonder he hadn't been robbed, though he wouldn't really know with all the mess.

Dib took a warm shower and changed into some old clothes. He lifted the shirt Gaz had bought him to his nose and pretended he could smell her on it before folding it neatly and storing it on a closet shelf. It would stay there the rest of his life.

His laptop and phone had be seized by the agency but they'd been returned upon his release and he sat down at his kitchen table, opening the laptop while coffee brewed.

It didn't take him long to search the address. The agency had granted him access to the files on the alien, the address and details about the house among them. They hadn't found the labs beneath the house.

Dib rose as Google Earth brought up images and info about the home. He poured his coffee black and sat down again, inhaling the warmth before taking a sip. The last updated photo of the house was from two years prior. It had undergone some changes since then, as had the neighborhood. Dib sent the information to his phone and then sat back, looking out the open window at the silent snow outside. Dawn was still two hours off. Plenty of time.


	18. Chapter 18

He parked his car at the head of the cul-de-sac and got out, boots crunching in the three-inch snow. The world was deathly quiet and still, only the faint buzzing of the streetlights to interrupt the silence. The closing of his car door echoed and he started walking, hands deep in the pockets of his trenchcoat. No, not the beloved one he'd lost, but this new one would do just fine. The comforting weight of his weapon holstered at his hip bounced against his thigh with each step and he wondered if his dad would be fucking proud of him now. A full-blown field agent. No, his father wouldn't care if he was president of the goddamned agency. Or just president in general.

He glanced at the empty house he'd been tied in earlier as he passed, wondering if the female is there. He could check, but that would be risky. Besides, she needed him for something. And he intended to play right into her needs.

The house at the end was silent and dark, no lights on. Caution tape was wrapped around it's perimeter and doorway. Dib stepped under it. He looked around the dark house, then moved to the kitchen. Dib ran his fingers along the wall until the wall slid open to him and he stepped into the elevator, leaning down slightly to fit. It took him down into darkness.

When the glass door opened, Dib stepped out and took a moment to let his eyes adjust. The hall was dark, only a few scattered lights on overhead. He walked quietly down the hall, through the lab, and beyond into the opposite hall where the humans were kept.

They were all dead. Some asleep forever in their beds, others shot in the head. One looked like quite the struggle, but in the end he'd lost in a violent spray of blood and flesh. Dib returned to the main room. A single light glowed dimly in a room off to the side. He moved towards it. Something shifted behind him and he started to turn but stopped when cold metal pressed against his throat.

"You are truly foolish," Zim said quietly.

Dib reached up and wrapped his fingers around the extension, moving it and turning. Zim slid it away as he looked at him.

"Why are you here? Again?"

Dib stepped closer and lifted his hand, touching the alien's jawline.

"I had to see you again."

Zim's eyes widened but the human grabbed him by the antennae and pulled him forward hard. He cried out in surprise and pain, falling to his knees. Dib drew a taser from his pocket and jammed it into the Irken's back, shocking him. Sparks leaped from his PAK and he screamed, seizing on the floor. He tried to use his extensions but Dib jabbed him again, delivering another shock. The alien curled up tightly, shaking, gasping. He looked up and Dib hit him hard across the head with the taser and he fell to the ever-waiting darkness.

* * *

Zim opened his eyes slightly, blinking. Trampled white before him, green dripping slowly from his head. He lifted his gaze and looked around. His wrists were tied, stretched out between two trees in the backyard of his own house, like an immobilized calf waiting for slaughter. He called upon his PAK extensions but found the ports wouldn't open. Some black magic stuck them shut and he turned his head to look, frowning at the silver that gleamed dully in the streetlights.

He looked about for the human but didn't see him. He was alone in the yard, a sitting prize for the taking.

Dib watched from a top-floor window of the house, just a shadow in a dark place. He didn't need the scope on his rifle, but it added a dramatic effect to the weapon. He waited, watching the Irken struggle to free himself.

* * *

Dawn crept nearer, making the human edgy as he waited. The snow had stopped at some point but he knew the melting snow beneath the bound alien would likely be burning him.

He heard a faint sound and moved his finger slowly to the trigger.

" _Darling_ ," the female was in his ear. Dib turned to strike at her with the butt of the gun but she knocked him on his back easily. He swung the muzzle around and she grabbed it, pressing the barrel of the rifle down against his throat as she perched atop him. He shoved up on the gun with both hands but Tak held firm, smiling down at him.

"Oh, tsk. Vengeful, I suppose? Sweet human." She leaned down and licked his cheek before standing, throwing the rifle across the room happily.

"Thank you for my present, gift wrapped so pretty." She looked out the window at Zim. Dib sat up on his elbows and reached slowly into his coat.

"Your kind is too easy," she sighed, touching the glass. Dib drew his handgun and took a shot at her. She dodged with unearthly swiftness and kicked the weapon from his hand. He dove for it, but she picked it up easily and turned it on him. Dib froze, staring up at her as his heart beat painfully against his ribs.

She frowned and looked at the weapon in her hand, turning it this way and that ponderously. Dib started to get up and she giggled.

"Just kidding!" She shot him in the chest and tossed the gun away. "As if I don't know how to use your silly human weaponry."

Dib shook on his arm and fell to his back, gasping. The female looked out the window again and cursed, leaving the room.

Dib stared at the dark ceiling, pressing a hand over his chest. Blood pumped between his fingers, warm and fast. He swallowed thickly, tasting the metallic creeping up his throat.

A strange laser-like sound came from downstairs, followed by the light thump of something falling to the floor. Footsteps crept up the stairs slowly, creaking. Dib's fingers twitched and he tried to move but his legs felt numb. The door to the room swung open slowly, a shadow moving towards him. It paused to pick up his handgun, then stepped into the light from the window.

Dib looked up as crimson eyes gazed down at him, unreadable and silent. He opened his mouth but blood bubbled out with each breath. Zim took a knee beside him, eyes moving to his chest briefly, then back to his face. The alien met his eye and held it a long moment. Cold fingers touched Dib's cheek, brushing his skin gently.

Zim raised the gun to Dib's temple, never breaking eye contact as he did.

He pulled the trigger.


End file.
